


Consequences Aren't All Bad

by greatbriton



Category: Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:05:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatbriton/pseuds/greatbriton
Summary: A couple years after sacrificing herself to the being Baroshtok; a keeper of another dimension, in order to save Doctor Strange, Casey Kinmont is found again.  Soulless and adrift in an entirely different dimension than she was lost to, is it too late to save her this time?





	Consequences Aren't All Bad

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS: for the Doctor Strange mini "Strange: The Doctor Is Out". and it will probably all make more sense if you were familiar with that mini before reading this fic. 
> 
> Thanks for your interest in this story. This has been something I've had in my mind for years now and never just sat down and wrote it. So, I'm finally here and hopefully it gets out of my head into some semblance of an interesting story. :)
> 
> First chapter is very short on purpose, I'm sorry. More of an introduction than a full chapter.

The sky was a deep endless red only broken by floating islands of rock that housed carved out areas filled with towering buildings of brown stone with jagged edges and few windows. A haven for the desperate and lost. As well as for those who were all too happy to take advantage of such a place and such circumstances. 

Stephen was jostled roughly as he made his way through the commerce section of this island. He rubbed his shoulder where a bruise was most likely forming. The hovering islands had no names and there were no directional signs. One had to find their own way or face the consequences. Deadly consequences. As if to showcase this, a large fanged creature snapped at Stephen, inches from his face, as he walked past. The creature's eyes followed Stephen curiously which prompted the sorcerer to pull the collar of his cloak up and quickly detour to a side alley that cut through one of the towers that loomed ominous and angry. This path was dark, covered in shadow and debris, and by no means empty of foot traffic Busy with denizens of this dimensions dealing and trading in all manner of product livestock. Stephen dared not provide himself with light to see better. 

He watched over his shoulder for a few moments as he walked but saw neither hide nor hair of the strange beast that had paid him a little bit too much attention and none of the other residents seemed concerned by his presence. Although, he had to sidestep another bulky body and stepped directly into a puddle of sickly green liquid. 

“Ah,” Stephen lifted his boot out of the foul substance as a couple nearby Delgre'is laughed at his misfortune. Skin a pale blue, they had large ears that reminded Stephen of a bat, eyes dark and too large for their frames with fangs that stuck out from the bottoms of their mouths.

They spoke in a language he couldn't understand and he didn't need magic to translate the meaning for him. He gave them a miserable shrug, just a stranger who knew no better, and continued quickly on his way. His foot squished wetly in his boot with each step and his mouth turned down in distaste. It was never a pleasant experience to come here and he'd be glad if he never had to step foot in this dimension ever again. Yet, it was his job to watch over this place. To keep tabs on the comings and goings of its most prominent abominations. 

This was precisely why he was here now. Just a routine visit to make sure everything was still moving along without threat to this dimension or his own. No monstrosities using this place as a jumping stone to Earth's dimension. 

He glanced up as he stepped out from the cover of the tower on the other side of the alley and the unpleasant red hue to the sky left him feeling ill at ease. He squinted as a forming headache pulsed inside his skull. 

Stephen gasped as he felt a quick surge of mystical energy near him. He turned toward the direction of the source and was suddenly shoved quite abruptly by somebody bipedal. He stumbled briefly before catching his footing and cursing under his breath. 

“How about you watch where you're going!” shouted the stranger, in English. A feminine voice. His memory piqued at it and he looked at the figure. A dark cloak with a large hood that covered all of their features besides long tufts of dark hair. Their head was downcast, only for a brief split second did they look up, not at his face but to take in their surroundings, before they turned and quickly headed back into the dark alley way.

Stephen was rooted to the spot. His muscles frozen as horrible recognition washed over him. He stared after the woman, for a human woman it had to be. He had recognized her. 

“Casey?” he blurted,eyes wide and standing in the middle of a busy through way. It may have been loud enough for the woman to hear because she hesitated, moved as if to look over her shoulder, before turning her quick pace into a run. “Casey!” Stephen's entire body suddenly burst to life in an instant, broken from its stupor. His heart jumped into his throat and his legs began pushing him forward. He collided with bodies as he went, paying them little mind. His eyes tracked the form through the crowd into the alley. 

When the shadow of the tower fell over him again and he could no longer see her dark cloak he conjured orbs of light, two flew in front of him, tracking where his eyes wanted to see best and two more followed beyond his shoulders. The many pedestrians and traders in the alley cried out in frustration and some in pain as the light washed over them. A few cowered from it, covering their eyes and hissing at him angrily. None approached him though, possibly noticing the wild look in his eyes or realizing he was more than he appeared. He had no time to wonder on it. 

There, to the right, up ahead was quick movement of a body darting quickly into an entrance. Stephen ran, the orbs of light crackling as they moved to follow. His boots skidded across pebbles and other debris as he turned sharply to continue his chase into the building. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest and his breath coming out in frantic pants as he followed. He climbed over fallen rocks in the hallway that led forward, forgetting in his urgency that he could have floated over them or simply pushed them out of his way. 

“Casey Kinmont!” he called, voice echoing dully off the walls. He continued down the hallway, relieved to find the passage lit with its own source but he was dismayed to find that he had lost all sight of her. “Casey. It's Stephen Strange. There's no need to run. No need to be frightened.” She would remember him, right? He feared the idea that she may not. 

The memories of Casey flooded him, of how weak she had looked before she was swept away by Baroshtok, and those memories threatened to distract him. He shook his head, eyes darting along the walls, looking for a path. Stephen put his hand to the warm stone wall and then he felt it. The magic. It surrounded this area, it spoke to how little he was paying attention that he hadn't noticed it before. 

Stepping away from the wall, he closed his eyes and focused. He held his hands in front of him then brought the backs of them together before separating them. There. A concealed doorway. The magic barring it dissipated as he stepped near and he felt no other traps. Stephen slowly pushed the door open and there, in the center of the room, was the woman he had been chasing. She still had her hood up, her face concealed in shadow, her shoulders hunched, clutching a small book tightly in her dirty hands.

Stephen glanced quickly at the book then down to his belt where the empty pouch was. His personal book of transcribed spells. Stephen palmed at the empty space on his belt and cursed himself for paying so little attention. Was he being fooled now? Was this really Casey Kinmont or was this dimension playing tricks on his mind. 

“Casey?” his feet shuffled forward, inching closer. She looked up and he could finally see her eyes, and they went wide at that name. “Casey Kinmont, it's Stephen. Stephen Strange.” His breath caught in his throat as she pulled her hood down and revealed herself. Casey. It was her. 

Her hair was down past her shoulders and no longer highlighted. She didn't have glasses and she squinted tired eyes at him but he would recognize her anywhere still. Her skin was pale, very pale, and there were deep sunken dark circles under her eyes. She was even skinnier than he remembered her being. The cloak did little to hide the small frame. He breathed a soft whine at the state of her. 

“Stephen?” Casey gasped. She stepped forward. He reached out his hand. Joyous relief washed over him and he began to smile, began to tell her it was going to be alright when she suddenly lunged forward, not at him but toward something behind him. Shit. “No! Wait!” It was too late. Something hit Stephen in the back of the skull with a harsh thud and he fell to his knees. Sparks burst behind his eyes before he slumped the rest of the way to the floor then everything went black.


End file.
